U.S. Gov’t “Cash For Gold” Program

It just might work…

U.S. To Trade Gold Reserves For Cash Through Cash4Gold.com

ObamaCare, Partnership, Lies and America's Socialist Future

The other day, a friend from Florida shared an article that was found on the Fox news network. It tried to make claims of opinions voiced by democrats, republicans and independents. Read it here: Fifty Five Percent Oppose Health Care Reform

I would at least entertain this article as having some believable info if it did not cite the Fox news network poll (that claims 55% support against the reform issue). I might even actually consider Fox as a reasonable general source of info if they did not feature people like Beck and Palin. Honestly, I do not understand how anyone can get behind them. When I read statements like “By two-to-one people think the quality of their family’s health care would be worse, rather than better”. It’s strange to me that when I speak with most people about this issue, the numbers are almost exactly reversed… more believe the country will be better off with the health care reform efforts, rather than without it. So the key word here, as in the rest of that article, is “think”. The reason people “think” what they do is more about how they’ve been manipulated and propagandized rather than what they truly understand. And, yes, that goes for both sides.

Given an article that makes so many claims, I’d like to see charts or graphs, or some kind of visual presentation, and I’d also like to know where, when and how the information was obtained. I realize you can get a demographic with numbers by opening the pdf document, but frankly, who’s going to go that far, and in that case, what would make me believe that the demographic numbers of democrats, republicans and independents is real? Polls are always skewed, no matter who they’re compiled by or how.

I’m sure you’re wondering how that terrible video showing tea partiers berating a man with Parkinson’s ever made it to the public’s eye. Like it or not, that was a huge blow to the tea party effort, and shows the mean spirit of one-sided thinking taken to an extreme. People with sensibility and compassion are appalled by this display and it tends to reinforce what they believed to be the one-sided agenda of the tea party.

“America’s Socialist Future”… come on! I guess we’ll see now how soon the hammer and sickle fly over Washington. Not too soon, I predict. What the republican party and tea party faction call their perceived trend toward socialism is nothing more than an effort by democrats to equalize a disparity that has existed in this country for far too long. Hopefully, the mindset of “the benefits of privilege” will skulk back into depths of hell where it belongs, and everyone can “benefit” by good health.

Last night we heard so many republican arguments about how this bill is a trend toward socialism, and that we need health care reform, but just not this bill. What would make any bill that attempts to grant the same opportunity for good health less socialist?  And does that mean in this context that we’ll transform into a communist state? I don’t “think” so.

Will republicans find a way to reform health care…  based on what we know about their input to the current bill?  Again, I don’t “think” so.

And now the news….

Breaking News: Some Bullshit Happening Somewhere

Red State Update - Liberal Oscars

You must watch this one from start to finish.  The ending will transport you back to the happy, carefree days of the 60’s….  And while watching the lead up, I guarantee your complete entertainment.

Red State Update…

This one always cracks me up…and I’ve watched it at least 50 times!

Doctor’s role with terminal patients argued in court (video)

The right to life and the right to die should not be determined by the legal system.

Doctor’s role with terminal patients argued in court

Kansas City Fires Half Its Teachers

Towns in CT are planning on doing the same.  Have those decision makers gone mad?

Kansas City Fires Half Its Teachers

Possible Naugatuck teacher layoffs | WTNH.com Connecticut

Teacher layoffs loom in Shelton - Connecticut Post

Frank Smith Says NB: Bristol Schools' Worst Budget Scenario

Like A Rock….

I think that says it!

God and the Health Care Debate

I saw this cartoon, sent to me in a link by a friend, on OpenSalon this morning.  While I don’t necessarily believe in God in the traditional sense, the message resonates pretty loudly with me.

Johnny A has a brand new DVD

One of my favorite guitarists has a new DVD entitled “One November Night”.  I haven’t seen it yet, but the teaser (shown below) is pretty nice.

Johnny does a show now and again at Chan’s in Woonsocket, RI.  Definitely worth seeing if you have the time… and you like good guitar playing.  His band is excellent, as well.

A Really Nice Story

I received an email from my Aunt Eileen today…  You know the kind; a sappy sweet email, one of those you’re supposed to forward to ten people or forever be cursed.  Well, this one really got to me, especially in light of something that I had to experience myself.

A  Dog's Purpose? (from  a 6-year-old).

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker.

The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker,and they were hoping for a miracle.

I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the  family we couldn't do anything for Belker,and  offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for  the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belkers family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting  the old dog for the last time, that I wondered  if he understood what was going on.

Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.  The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion.  We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad  fact that animal lives are shorter than human  lives.  Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ''I know why.''

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me.  I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.  It has changed the way I try and live.

He said, ''People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?'' The  Six-year-old continued, Well, dogs already know  how to do that, so they don't have to stay as  long.''

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

A Stroke of Luck!

I spend a fair amount of time looking for opportunities to play music.  I’ve even given “busking” some consideration, but I figured I’d have to get dark sunglasses, a hat and write some kind of starving musician’s plea on a stinky, worn piece of cardboard…  Probably would have to rummage a dumpster for that cardboard and an empty soup can for collecting donations.  No way would I let anyone I didn’t know throw bacteria laced pennies, nickels and dimes into my guitar case…and I’m not going to provide face masks and bacteria killing hand soaps and insist that people use them. Not really my way… but anyone that knows me, knows that I love to digress….

Anyway, I get updates from BandMix.com that provides listings of bands looking for musicians, musicians looking for bands, and in an obscure section of the site, RuPaul advertises for up and coming trannys. :-)

So this morning I was looking on Bandmix and saw that there’s a band called “Abbey Rhode” from Portsmouth, RI.  The profile looked interesting, but since I’m not a premium (read “paying”) member of Bandmix, there was no way to contact them.  I did the obligatory web search and found a go-daddy style web page with a single ad for an out-of-date show they had done over the holidays, but no contact info for the band.  There was an email address of a person you could contact for info on the show.  I thought, ‘maybe this person wouldn’t mind if I asked them to forward my contact info to the band’.  So that’s what I did.

The amazing thing was that almost immediately I received a reply from that person saying that they’d be glad to help.

Next thing, a person from the Abbey Rhode band sent me an email and asked me to give him a call.  I did that.  It looks like something good could come out of this.  The members of the band are all about my age, and all have the same musical interests.  So provided these guys are not the persons who the movie, “The Silence of the Lambs”, is based on, I should be getting back into a happy musical groove soon.

I’ll update as I get more info.

Click the image above for the Abbey Rhode web page.  You can subscribe to their mailing list.  Please do it…  I implore you!!!

Rep. Courtney offers introductory remarks on health care reform in House Education Labor Committee

I was looking through the Tea Party manifesto on their web site and noticed that they were condemning one of CT’s U.S. Reps for looking to aid the Health Care Reform efforts.  Rep. Courtney is a Democratic rep from CT’s 2nd Congressional District, by the way…

We need to pay attention to this man!

2010 Gathering of Nations VIP Pass Sweepstakes - PowWows.com Gathering - Forums for Native American Pow Wows

2010 Gathering of Nations VIP Pass Sweepstakes - PowWows.com Gathering - Forums for Native American Pow Wows

Vatican Probes Heavens For ETs

I’m not sure why this came to mind.  Of course you probably know that mine works in very strange ways.  Anyway, on November 11, 2009, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette had a front page article with the same title as this post.  I could hardly believe what I was reading!  Check the article here…

Worcester Telegram - Vatican Probes Heavens For ETs

My friend Bob and I had a funny dialog around this topic:

Mark: I could hardly believe it when I saw the title of this article...

Bob: Yeah, I wanna get the communion wafer concession when all of Alpha Centauri gets converted…

Mark: Definitely!  The religious/economic implications are "out of this world"!  I can see signs up on planet 12445 now... "Jesus saves at EarthBank.com.  Get your account today".

So what do you suppose the real agenda might be for the church’s quest to boldly go where no man (or deity) has gone before???

Remember Shuggie Otis??

I was doing an inventory of my vinyl and cd collections recently and found a very important cd missing.  It was Shuggie Otis’ seminal 1971 album “Freedom Flight”.  Most everyone I speak with about Shuggie have no idea who he is or the importance of his work.  Most people remember a song by the Brothers Johnson titled “Strawberry Letter 23”.  What they don’t know is that Shuggie Otis wrote and recorded this gem on the Freedom Flight album… when he was 16 years old.  I’ve been trying my whole conscious life to write music with that flavor.  Oh, well, I guess it’s the difference between having and not having creative talent.

This is not a performance video, but it’s a recording of the song with an image slide show.  Check it.  Shuggie Otis - Strawberry Letter 23

or…

Here’s the Brothers Johnson doing their version – click here to listen

or…

Welcome To The Boomtown

Welcome To The Boomtown, my friends!  What will become of our country?

The Issue	Your Ideas
Universal Healthcare	Your Answers Go Here
The Bailouts (Wall Street/Banking)	Your Answers Go Here
The Climate (Global Warming)	Your Answers Go Here
The Unfinanced War Efforts	Your Answers Go Here

Please feel free to post your ideas in a comment…PLEASE!!!!